On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals acquired running back Kenyan Drake from the Miami Dolphins for a conditional draft pick in the 2020 National Football League Draft. The Dolphins, who already have an immense number of draft picks next year, will now receive the Cardinals sixth-round draft pick, which could be upgraded to a fifth-round pick if certain conditions are met.
Arizona was in desperate need of a running back as their star rusher David Johnson is out with an ankle injury and Chase Edmonds has a hamstring ailment. To make matters worse, the Cardinals are on a short week and have the fortune of playing one of the top two teams in the NFL on Thursday as they host the San Francisco 49ers.
On a Halloween night when people go out trick-or-treating, the Cardinals will be stuck on the football field trying to trick a 49ers team so far this season that has been unbeatable. One thing is for sure and that is the Cardinals are not in for a treat. The 49ers do not have any running back woes whatsoever. They are coming off a Sunday afternoon smackdown, as they combined for 232 rushing yards in a 51-13 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Luckily, the Cardinals will have a running back with experience. Last season in Miami, Drake had 535 yards rushing and 477 yards receiving with nine touchdowns. In 2019, Drake has not found the end zone after six games, but does have 348 yards, with his rushing/receiving production split evenly. Drake has 174 yards receiving and 174 yards rushing.
Now the acquisition of Drake makes the Cardinals backfield completely unclear when Edmonds and Johnson return. What Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury will do is anyone’s guess. Johnson appears to be the lead back, but Edmonds’ performance against the New York Giants in week seven cannot be ignored. Edmonds had a remarkable 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 27-21 Cardinals win. Now you add to Drake to the mix, who was underutilized in Miami, and the Cardinals running back situation could be a fantasy football nightmare for fantasy owners with the playoffs approaching.
